| Additional Translations |
| light adj | (food: easy to digest) | ligero/a adj |
| | | suave adj mf |
| | While her husband ordered a steak, she ordered something lighter. |
| | Mientras que su marido pidió un filete, ella pidió algo más ligero. |
| | Mientras que su marido pidió un filete, ella pidió algo más suave. |
| light adj | (food: has few calories) | dietético adj |
| | | bajo en calorías loc adj |
| | (informal; voz inglesa) | light adj inv |
| | This light mayonnaise doesn't have much flavour. |
| | Esta mayonesa dietética no tiene mucho sabor. |
| light adj | (drink: low alcohol) (bajo en alcohol) | ligero/a adj |
| | | light adj inv |
| | Some people prefer light beer to very alcoholic beverages. |
| | Algunos prefieren la cerveza ligera a las bebidas con mucho alcohol. |
| | Algunos prefieren la cerveza light a las bebidas con mucho alcohol. |
| light adj | ([sb]: not heavily built) | menudo/a adj |
| | She is very strong for someone so light! |
| | Para ser una mujer menuda, ¡es muy fuerte! |
| light adj | (clothing: for warm weather) | ligero/a, fino/a adj |
| | You can wear a light jacket. It isn't too cold outside. |
| | Puedes llevar una chaqueta ligera (or: fina). No hace mucho frío fuera. |
| light adj | figurative (low volume) | poco adv |
| | There was only light trading in the commodities markets due to the holiday. |
| | Había poco negocio en el mercado de bienes debido a las vacaciones. |
| light adj | (low pressure) | suave adj mf |
| | | ligero/a adj |
| | The masseur had a very light touch. |
| | El masajista tenía un tacto muy suave. |
| light adj | figurative (not profound) | ligero/a adj |
| | | trivial adj mf |
| | We just engaged in light conversation, nothing serious. |
| | Simplemente mantuvimos una conversación ligera, nada serio. |
| | Simplemente mantuvimos una conversación trivial, nada serio. |
| light adj | figurative (trivial) | sin importancia loc adj |
| | Sam reassured me that it was a light matter and nothing to worry about. |
| | Sam me tranquilizó de que era algo sin importancia y que no tenía que preocuparme. |
| light adj | (soil: sandy) (terreno) | arenoso/a adj |
| | Carrots are best grown in a light soil, rather than heavy clay. |
| | Las zanahorias crecen mejor en terreno arenoso que en arcilla dura. |
| light adj | (delicate) | delicado/a adj |
| | The dancer executed some light and dainty steps. |
| | El bailarín ejecutó unos pasos delicados y refinados. |
| light adj | figurative (carefree) | desenfadado/a adj |
| | The girls liked him for his light and carefree attitude towards life. |
| | A las chicas le gustaba por su actitud desenfadada y despreocupada ante la vida. |
| light adj | (of low weight capacity) | ligero/a adj |
| | He has a licence to fly light aircraft. |
| | Tiene licencia para pilotar aviones ligeros. |
| light adj | (breeze: gentle) | suave adj mf |
| | It will be mainly sunny, with a light breeze. |
| | Estará mayormente soleado, con una suave brisa. |
| light adv | poetic (lightly) | con ligereza loc adv |
| | | con suavidad loc adv |
| | She walked so light that she barely left a footprint. |
| | Caminaba con ligereza tal que apenas dejaba huellas. |
| | Caminaba con suavidad tal que apenas dejaba huellas. |
| light n | (light bulb) | bombilla nf |
| | The light has burned out in the kitchen. Can you replace it? |
| | La bombilla de la cocina se ha fundido. ¿puedes cambiarla? |
| light n | (daylight) (del día) | luz nf |
| | | luz del día grupo nom |
| | You had better go to the shop while there is still light. |
| | Mejor que vayas a la tienda mientras todavía haya luz. |
| | Mejor que vayas a la tienda mientras todavía haya luz del día. |
| light n | (traffic light) | semáforo nm |
| | | luz nf |
| | The traffic stopped when the light turned red. |
| | El tráfico se detuvo cuando el semáforo se puso rojo. |
| | El tráfico se detuvo cuando la luz se puso en rojo. |
| light n | (street lamp) (artificial) | luz nf |
| | | farol, farola nm, nf |
| | They installed lights on the street to make it safer to walk at night. |
| | Instalaron luces en las calles para que caminar por la noche fuese más seguro. |
| | Instalaron farolas en las calles para que caminar por la noche fuese más seguro. |
| light n | (car: headlight) | luz nf |
| | | faro nm |
| | (AmL) | foco nm |
| | When it got dark, he turned the car's lights on. |
| | Cuando se puso oscuro, encendió las luces del coche. |
| light n | (lighthouse) | faro nm |
| | The sailors were most relieved when they saw the Sambro Island Light in the distance. |
| | Los marineros se sintieron aliviados cuando divisaron en la distancia el faro de la isla Sambro. |
| light n | (flame) | luz nf |
| | He could see her face in the light of the candle. |
| | Pudo ver su cara a la luz de la vela. |
| light n | figurative (viewpoint) | lado nm |
| | | punto de vista grupo nom |
| | He always saw things in a negative light. |
| | Siempre ve las cosas desde el lado negativo. |
| | Siempre ve las cosas desde un punto de vista negativo. |
| light n | (luminary) | luz y guía loc nom mf |
| | | fuente de inspiración loc nom f |
| | | experto, experta nm, nf |
| | | erudito, erudita nm, nf |
| | She is a leading light in the art world. |
| | Es luz y guía en el mundo del arte. |
| | Es una fuente de inspiración en el mundo del arte. |
| | Es un experto en el mundo del arte. |
| | Es un erudito en el mundo del arte. |
| light n | (gleam) | brillo nm |
| | She saw the light in his eyes and knew he had a good idea. |
| | Vio el brillo de sus ojos y supo que era una buena idea. |
| light n | (art: effect) | luz nf |
| | Look at the light on the woman's face in this painting. |
| | Mira la luz en la cara de la mujer en este cuadro. |
| light n | (small window) | tragaluz nm |
| | (en coches) | custodia nf |
| | | ventanilla nf |
| | (edificios) | claraboya, lumbrera nf |
| | Don't open the big window, just the corner light. |
| | No abras la ventana grande, sólo el tragaluz de la esquina. |
| | No abras la ventana grande, sólo la custodia. |
| | No abras la ventana grande, sólo la ventanilla. |
| | No abras la ventana grande, sólo la claraboya (or: lumbrera). |
| a light n | (fire to light a cigarette, etc.) | mechero, encendedor nm |
| | | fuego nm |
| | Hey, do you have a light? |
| | ¿Tienes un mechero (or: encendedor)? |
| | ¿Tienes fuego, por favor? |
| lights npl | (animal lungs as food) | pulmones nmpl |
| | Cook the lights for an hour in the stock. |
| | Cocina los pulmones durante una hora en el caldo. |
| lights npl | (decorative) | luces nfpl |
| | We put the tinsel and lights on the Christmas tree. |
| | Le pusimos una guirnalda brillante y luces al árbol de Navidad. |
| light⇒ vi | (take fire) | prender⇒ vi |
| | | encenderse⇒ v prnl |
| | He threw on a match and the bonfire lighted. |
| | Arrojó una cerilla y la hoguera prendió. |
| | Arrojó una cerilla y la hoguera se encendió. |
Compound Forms:
light | lighted |
anchor light,
riding light n | (light on anchored boat) | luz de fondeo loc nf |
| arc light n | (type of electric lamp) | arco voltáico loc nom m |
| artificial light n | (illumination other than daylight) | luz artificial nf |
| | The plants were amazing considering they were all grown in the basement under artificial light. |
| | Esa planta va bien incluso con luz artificial. |
| at first light expr | (at daybreak) | a primera hora expr |
| | | de madrugada expr |
backup light,
back-up light (US),
reversing light (UK) n | usually plural (light when vehicle moves backward) | luz de marcha atrás nf + loc adj |
| | (AmL) | luz de reversa nf + loc adj |
| | (AmC, VE) | luz de retroceso nf + loc adj |
beam,
beam of light n | (light ray) | rayo nm |
| | | rayo de luz grupo nom |
| | The room was dark except for a thin beam of light shining through a small hole in the roof. |
| | La habitación estaba a oscuras excepto por un pequeño rayo que entraba por un agujero en el techo. |
| black light n | (ultraviolet lamp) (Esp) | luz ultravioleta nf + adj |
| | Did you know that bodily fluids and scorpions are visible under a black light? |
| blinding light n | (intensely bright light) | luz cegadora loc nom f |
| | When lightning strikes, there is a blinding light and an instantaneous loud crack. |
| | Cuando golpea un relámpago, aparece una luz cegadora junto a un fuerte chasquido instantáneo. |
| blinking light n | (indicator that flashes) (ES) | luz intermitente loc nom f |
| | (AR) | balizas nfpl |
| | La luz intermitente en la ambulancia era bien brillante. |
| bright light n | (light: harsh) | luz intensa nf + adj |
| | | luz fuerte nf + adj |
| | | luz bien brillante grupo nom |
| | | luz que encandila grupo nom |
| | I had to cover my eyes because of the bright light. |
| | Tuve que cubrirme los ojos debido a la luz intensa. |
| bring [sth] to light v expr | figurative (reveal [sth] secret) | hacer público loc verb |
| | We should bring his outrageous actions to light. |
| | Tendríamos que hacer públicas sus intolerables acciones. |
Bud Light,
bud light n | ® US (low-alcohol beer) (marca registrada) | Bud Light n propio f |
| Note: As a registered trademark, “Bud Light” should be capitalized, but it is sometimes not capitalized in informal communication. |
| bulb n | (light) | bombilla nf |
| | (AmL) | foco nm |
| | (AR, UY) | bombita, lamparita nm |
| | (AmC, CO, VE) | bombillo nm |
| | The bulb in the hallway needs to be replaced. |
| | Hay que cambiar la bombilla del pasillo. |
catch fire,
catch on fire,
also UK: catch light,
catch alight,
also US: take fire v expr | (ignite) | prender fuego loc verb |
| | | prender en llamas loc verb |
| | Gasoline can catch fire very easily. |
| | If you knock that candle onto the rug, it will catch on fire. |
| | La gasolina puede prender fuego fácilmente. |
| ceiling light n | (light fixture attached to a ceiling) | plafón nm |
| | | lámpara de techo nf + loc adj |
| come to light v expr | figurative (be revealed) | salir a la luz loc verb |
| | Every day more information about the scandal comes to light. |
| | Cada día sale a la luz un nuevo detalle sobre el escándalo. |
| dazzling light n | (very bright light) | luz intensa grupo nom |
| | Don't miss the dazzling lights of Broadway when you're in New York. |
| | No te pierdas las luces intensas de Broadway cuando estés en Nueva York. |
| dim light n | (low or soft light) | luz tenue grupo nom |
| | I'm not calling you ugly but you definitely look best in a dim light. |
| | No te estoy diciendo feo, pero definitivamente luces mejor con luz tenue. |
| dome light n | (light in automobile, boat) | luz de techo nf + loc adj |
| | | luz interior nf + adj mf |
| | | luz de cortesía nf + loc adj |
| dome light n | (light on emergency vehicle) (vehículo de emergencia) | luz intermitente nf + adj mf |
| easement of light and view n | (law: unobstructed) | servidumbre de luces y vistas loc nom f |
| electric light n | (incandescent lamp) | luz eléctrica nf + adj |
| electric light n | (light made by lamp) | luz eléctrica nf + adj |
| electric light bulb n | (glass object producing light) | bombilla eléctrica nf + adj |
| | (AR, UY) | bombita eléctrica nf + adj |
| | (AmC, CO, MX) | bombillo eléctrico nm + adj |
| | Anna changed the electric light bulb in the living room. |
| | Anna cambió la combilla eléctrica de la sala. |
| emergency light n | (light that comes on in an emergency) | luz de emergencia nf + loc adj |
exposure meter,
light meter n | (photography: measures light) | fotómetro nm |
| | | exposímetro nm |
| filter light n | often plural (signal guiding traffic stream) | luz de giro loc nom f |
| first light n | (dawn) (del día) | primera luz adj + nf |
| | | amanecer nm |
| flashing light n | (light that goes on and off quickly) | luz intermitente nf + adj mf |
| fluorescent light n | (lamp that uses fluorescent material) | luz fluorescente nf + adj mf |
fog light,
fog lamp n | usually plural (vehicle's headlight for foggy conditions) | luz antiniebla nf + adj |
| | I use my fog lights so rarely that I can never remember where the switch is. |
| green light n | (traffic signal: go) | luz verde loc nom f |
| | | verde nm |
| | We'll never make it to the green light in time. |
| | No llegaremos a tiempo a la luz verde. |
| | No llegaremos a tiempo al semáforo en verde. |
| green light n | figurative (authorization to begin) | luz verde loc nom f |
| | Today we got a green light from the director to begin the new project. |
| | The committee gave my project the green light. |
| | Hoy obtuvimos luz verde del director para empezar con nuestro proyecto. // El comité dio luz verde a mi proyecto. |
| green-light [sth]⇒ vtr | figurative (authorize) | dar luz verde loc verb |
| | | autorizar⇒ vtr |
| | The Federal Aviation Administration has green-lighted a request to extend the airport runway. |
| | La Administración Federal de Aviación dio luz verde a un pedido de extender la pista del aeropuerto. |
| grow light vi + adj | (day: arrive, dawn) | clarear v impers |
| | | amanecer v impers |
| | It grows light around 6 am at this time of year. |
| | Clarea a las 6 en esta época del año. |
| grow light vi + adj | figurative (become less of a burden) | aligerarse⇒ v prnl |
| | | alivianarse⇒ v prnl |
| guiding light n | figurative (person: inspires, leads) | referente n común |
| | Nelson Mandela was a guiding light for South Africa, during a very difficult time in the country's history. |
| | Nelson Mandela fue el referente de Sudáfrica durante una época muy difícil de la historia del país. |
| half-light n | (low light, esp. twilight) | media luz adj + nf |
| hide your light under a bushel v expr | figurative (conceal your talents) | ser modesto v cop + adj |
| | | no dejar ver su talento loc verb |
highlight,
high light n | figurative, often plural (most important moment) | parte más memorable nf + loc adj |
| | | más destacado adj + nm |
| | The highlight of the trip was the visit to the Eiffel Tower. |
| | La parte más memorable del viaje fue la visita a la Torre Eiffel. |
| in a bad light adv | figurative (unfavourably) (mirar) | con malos ojos loc verb |
| | Todo el mundo lo miraba con malos ojos después del incidente. |
| in a good light adv | figurative (favourably) | de manera positiva loc adv |
| | The article is very critical and does not portray her in a good light. |
| in light of prep | (considering, in view of) | en vista de, a la luz de loc prep |
| | | teniendo en cuenta expr |
| | In light of the weather forecast, maybe we'd better postpone the picnic. |
| | En vista de lo que dice el pronóstico del tiempo, quizá convendría que postergáramos el pícnic. |
| in the cold light of day expr | figurative (objectively, dispassionately) | con objetividad loc adv |
| | | objetivamente adv |
| | | con frialdad loc adv |
| | | fríamente adv |
| in the light of [sth] prep | figurative (in view of, given) | a la luz de loc prep |
| | | en vista de loc prep |
| Note: also "in light of" |
| | In the light of recent developments, it would be appropriate to review the arrangements. |
| | A la luz de los últimos acontecimientos, habrá que volver a revisar lo que se había planificado. |
in the light of [sth],
by the light of [sth] prep | (illuminated by) | a la luz de loc prep |
| | | bajo la luz de loc prep |
| in your best light expr | figurative (giving the most favourable view) | de la mejor manera expr |
| incandescent light n | (type of electric light) | luz incandescente nf + adj |
| inner light n | figurative (spiritual enlightenment) (figurado) | luz interior loc nom f |
| leading light n | figurative (person: inspirational) (figurado) | alma nf |
| Note: Artículo masculino al ser singular que comienza con "a" tónica. |
| | Jacobi has been a leading light of the theatre through most of his career. |
| | Jacobi ha sido el alma del teatro durante casi toda su carrera. |
| LED n | initialism (light-emitting diode) (diodo electroluminiscente) | LED nm |
| | Nancy draped a string of LED lights around the mantel. |
| light adaptation n | (ophthalmology) | adaptación a la luz nf + loc adj |
| light air n | (meteorology) | viento leve nm + adj mf |
light airplane (US),
light aeroplane (UK),
light aircraft n | (small aircraft) | avioneta nf |
light as a feather,
as light as a feather adj | (weighing very little) | liviano como una pluma loc adj |
| light at the end of the tunnel n | figurative (prospect of relief or success) (figurado) | luz al final del túnel loc nom f |
| light beer n | (beer with reduced alcohol content) | cerveza liviana nf + adj |
| light beer n | (beer with reduced calories) | cerveza dietética nf + adj |
| | (voz inglesa) | cerveza light nf + adj inv |
| light blue n | (pale blue color) | azul celeste loc nom m |
| | | azul claro loc nom m |
| | | azul cielo loc nom m |
| | Do you have this shirt in light blue? |
| | ¿Tienes esta camiseta en azul celeste? |
light blue,
light-blue adj | (pale blue in color) | celeste adj mf |
| | | azul cielo, azul celeste, azul claro adj mf |
| Note: A hyphen is used when the term is an adjective before a noun. |
| | The team's new strip is light blue with a burgundy stripe. |
| | El nuevo uniforme del equipo es celeste con una tira bordó. |
| light box n | (for transparencies) | caja de luz nf + loc adj |
| light breeze | (meteorology) | brisa ligera nf + adj |
| light brown n | (pale brown color) (cabello) | marrón claro nm + adj |
| | | castaño claro nm + adj |
| | The old leather bag had faded to light brown. |
| | El viejo bolso de cuero se había desgastado y era marrón claro. |
light brown,
light-brown adj | (pale brown in color) (pelo) | castaño claro loc adj |
| | | marrón claro loc adj |
| Note: A hyphen is used when the adjective precedes the noun |
| | The police described the attacker as tall, with short, light-brown hair. |
| | La policía describió al atacante como un hombre alto con pelo corto y castaño claro. |
light bulb,
lightbulb n | (electric light) | bombilla nf |
| | (AmL) | foco nm |
| | (AR, UY) | bombita, lamparita nm |
| | (AmC, CO, VE) | bombillo nm |
| | The light bulb flickered, then went out. |
| | La bombilla parpadeó y después se apagó. |
| light chain n | (biochemistry: protein subunit) | cadena ligera loc nom f |
| light cream n | (dairy product: cream with less fat) | crema light nf + adj mf |
| | | crema desnatada, crema descremada nf + adj |
light displacement,
light weight n | (nautical) | desplazamiento en rosca loc nom m |
| light emitting diode n | (LED: electronic light) | diodo emisor de luz grupo nom |
| | The little indicator lights on electronic devices are usually light-emitting diodes. |
| | La lucecita de los dispositivos eléctricos generalmente es un diodo emisor de luz. |
| light fitting n | (fixture for attaching a lamp) | lámpara nf |
| | | luminaria nf |
| | (formal) | dispositivo de iluminación nm + loc adj |
| light fixture n | (fitting for attaching a lamp) | lámpara nf |
| | | luminaria nf |
| | (formal) | dispositivo de iluminación nm + loc adj |
| | We replaced the light fixture in the bathroom when we were remodeling. |
| light green n | (pale green colour) | verde claro nm |
| light heart n | (carefree mood) | actitud despreocupada nf + adj |
| | I set off on my journey with a light heart. |
| | Salí a viajar con una actitud despreocupada. |
| light heavyweight n | (boxer of lightest class) | peso mediopesado loc nom mf |
| | | peso semipesado loc nom mf |
| light heavyweight n as adj | (boxer: of lightest class) | de peso mediopesado loc adj |
| | | de peso semipesado loc adj |
| light industry n | (consumer goods manufacturing) | industria ligera, industria liviana nf |
| | La industria liviana está más bien orientada al consumidor final. |
| light leak n | (camera fault creating overexposure) | filtración de luz nf + loc adj |
| | Este tipo de óptica suele venir defectuoso, y presenta con frecuencia problemas de filtración de luz. |
| light maple n | (type of wood) | arce claro loc nom m |
| light meal n | (dinner: small serving) (poca comida) | comida ligera loc nom f |
| light meal n | (dinner: low calorie) (baja en calorías) | comida ligera loc nom f |